Causes of Constipation:
- Allergy or sensitivity to certain foods
- Imbalance in the natural bacterial balance in the intestine
- Magnesium and Vitamin C deficiency
- Low thyroid function
- Lack of fiber, healthy fats and safe starches in your diet
- Emotional stress
- Neurotransmitter (brain chemicals) imbalance
- Lack of moving your body daily
- Chronic use of medications such as antacids, opioid painkillers, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics or iron supplements
- Sluggish gall bladder
Address the Causes:
- Eat a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory diet made up of organic meats, fish, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. Paleo, SCD, GAPS and WAPF are great dietary plans. Avoid common allergens -wheat, oats, corn, barley, milk products, soybean & peanuts
- Take a high quality probiotic product – 2 per day (Metagenics)
- Take magnesium citrate – 200 -800 mg. daily (Now)
- Take Vitamin C – 1,000 – 3,000 mg. daily (Ultra Potent C by Metagenics)
- Take resistant starch – Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flour – begin with 1/8 teaspoon per day and increase by 1/4 teaspoon per day until you are taking 2 tablespoons per day
- Urinalysis to check neurotransmitter levels (Neuroscience Inc)
- Walk at least 30 minutes per day
- Bile salts to thin your bile (Cholacol)
- Blood test to check thyroid function – TSH, T4, T3, Free T3 and TPO
- Lower stress levels through meditation, yoga, keeping a gratitude journal and doing things that make you happy
The root causes of constipation can be many and often vary from person to person. Please feel free to email me with any questions or schedule an online or in person consultation to find out the root causes of your constipation.
Dr. Gaila Mackenzie
